Some don’t like that Amazon uses Goodreads data to inform its book-selling business, while authors allege the app doesn’t do enough to combat bad-faith “review-bombing” and author harassment. Goodreads vice president of marketing and editorial Suzanne Skyvara said the company has expanded its customer service team and added a feature that pauses review submissions during “unusual activity” such as review-bombing.
If you want a less contentious or more privacy-friendly home for your to-be-read list, here are our CliffsNotes on four of our favorite book-logging apps for Goodreads defectors. (Keep in mind that any time you search a linked database — such as Google, Apple Books or Amazon — inside one of these apps, that company will receive information about your query.)
Ben-Moshe ended up switching to StoryGraph, a Goodreads-like app that doesn’t share data with Amazon.
Compared to Goodreads, StoryGraph, which has versions for iOS and Android, puts less emphasis on social reviews and more on personal metrics and automated recommendations. After I filled out its (quite detailed) recommendation questionnaire, the app generated a spot-on list on suggested reads. (First up is “Parakeet” by Marie-Helene Bertino.) Its “stats” tab generates monthly or yearly analyses of your reading habits, with fun breakdowns like mood and genre. And its colorful graphs are more shareable than Goodreads’ annual snapshots.
If you use book apps primarily to connect with other readers, StoryGraph may not be for you. However, the app does have user profiles, and you can invite friends to “buddy read” (go to a book’s page, tap the three dots and select “start a buddy read”). Or, visit the “community” tab to view active “readalongs.”
StoryGraph is free, but you can pay $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year for advanced features. To upload your Goodreads data, visit StoryGraph on the web. Go to your profile icon at top right, choose “Manage account,” then “Goodreads import.” Upload your. CSV file and select “Import my Goodreads library.”
If you want to log music and movies alongside your books, check out LibraryThing.
LibraryThing has bare-bones apps for iOS and Android, but it works best on the web. Search for past and future reads to add them to your personal library, or pull titles from Amazon, Overcat or the Library of Congress. You can also add movies and music from Amazon’s database.
LibraryThing, which is free to use, says it has about 3 million users. Detailed book pages include links to relevant discussion threads, as well as crowdsourced suggestions for similar reads. If you share your location on your profile, the site will connect you with local friends, bookstores and libraries.
Looking for a book-logging tool with no social component? Try Reading List, available on iOS. You can add books and leave reviews for your eyes only.
This app is no-frills, but still includes some sought-after features like month-by-month statistics and the option to “pause” a book without messing up your metrics.
The “buy online” link on Reading List allows you to buy from independent booksellers through Bookshop.org.
Reading List works without an internet connection, but you’ll need one to add new books from the Google-powered search bar. A selling point for privacy buffs: The app’s developer says he doesn’t store or share user data. Reading List is free, and you can pay $2 a month, $14 a year or $34 a lifetime for additional features.
Unlike other book-loggers, BookWyrm is decentralized, meaning it’s owned by its users rather than one entity. (The social media platform Mastodon is probably the most popular example of a decentralized online network.)
BookWyrm is a collection of communities, but the largest is bookwyrm.social with about 15,000 users. Making an account is simple, so you can start tracking and reviewing books right away.
One unique BookWyrm feature is the “books” tab — a feed that shows activity from other users if they’re engaging with a book on your shelf.
BookWyrm is free and web-only. It’s clunkier than other options, but perfect for readers who want a homegrown online hangout.
